Progress Update on Outdoor Grain Piles
Jan 05, 2026
Jarod Lemper
Grain Division Manager
WELCOME TO WINTERS AT KEY COOPERATIVE! Even though the snowy weather we’ve had may be delightful for the holidays, it isn’t ideal when working with our outdoor grain piles.
December or January is typically when we begin picking up the outdoor piles. Grain is either shipped directly to a processor or brought into the elevator and then loaded onto rail cars.
We started the 2025/2026 pile reclaim in Nevada on December 9. This year, we’ve had a large amount of snow to deal with as we get the piles ready for pickup. Much of the snow must be removed or moved away from the area to get the tarps off the corn. Once the area is prepped, the crew can move in with the excavator and trucks and dig in.
The corn can be reclaimed at a rate of approximately 200,000 bushels per day. In Nevada, the trucks simply cycle around to the elevator and keep it onsite. We schedule our reclaim times around the loading schedule of the train shuttle. At the time I wrote this article, we were beginning to break into the second ring at Nevada, which will leave the large center fill ring and the bunker pile south of the flat yet to pick up.
We’re planning to begin on some of the other piles (such as New Sharon and Grinnell) after the first of the year. Additional corn must be moved to make sufficient room in the elevators to accommodate the pile corn. The Newton pile is a priority this year so construction can continue on the new hoop building.
Thank you to the crews at these locations! So much work goes into preparing for ground piles, as well as the time and effort it takes to get it picked back up.
Grain Division Manager
WELCOME TO WINTERS AT KEY COOPERATIVE! Even though the snowy weather we’ve had may be delightful for the holidays, it isn’t ideal when working with our outdoor grain piles.
December or January is typically when we begin picking up the outdoor piles. Grain is either shipped directly to a processor or brought into the elevator and then loaded onto rail cars.
We started the 2025/2026 pile reclaim in Nevada on December 9. This year, we’ve had a large amount of snow to deal with as we get the piles ready for pickup. Much of the snow must be removed or moved away from the area to get the tarps off the corn. Once the area is prepped, the crew can move in with the excavator and trucks and dig in.
The corn can be reclaimed at a rate of approximately 200,000 bushels per day. In Nevada, the trucks simply cycle around to the elevator and keep it onsite. We schedule our reclaim times around the loading schedule of the train shuttle. At the time I wrote this article, we were beginning to break into the second ring at Nevada, which will leave the large center fill ring and the bunker pile south of the flat yet to pick up.
We’re planning to begin on some of the other piles (such as New Sharon and Grinnell) after the first of the year. Additional corn must be moved to make sufficient room in the elevators to accommodate the pile corn. The Newton pile is a priority this year so construction can continue on the new hoop building.
Thank you to the crews at these locations! So much work goes into preparing for ground piles, as well as the time and effort it takes to get it picked back up.